On the Job Hunt.

by Sarah Welch

I was just laid off from my job, and I’m a little overwhelmed by the prospect of hunting for a new one. I’ve got two children, who are both in school during the day, which gives me plenty of time to search. But I find myself doing the laundry, organizing the kids’ rooms, and otherwise distracting myself from the real task at hand. Help!

The job search can be an overwhelming process for everybody involved. In today’s tough economic climate, being organized in your approach to the job hunt is more important than ever. It sounds like the first question you need to answer is: why are you procrastinating? Do you really want to get another job? If so, chances are you are simply stuck because the task seems too overwhelming. Read on for tips on how to get yourself focused and moving in the right direction

#1 Focus

Searching for a job can be downright overwhelming. Where do you start? Which companies should you target? Should you go directly to the internet job boards? The ‘bigness’ of it all can stop even the most determined person in their tracks, or cause them to go off in a million different The best way to get yourself over the inertia of starting a job search is to focus. Start by identifying the kind of job you want. Do you want to find another job like your last one, or is it time to make a switch to a new career? Once you have a clear end point in mind, then you can shift your attention to taking the simple steps, everyday, to get where you want to go.

#2 Get Your Binders Ready

In order to keep track of all of your business contacts and papers, we recommend keeping your information very organized. Whether it’s a three-ring binder, an electronic file, an accordion file, a portable file box, or a drawer at home in a three ring binder, keep track of your progress by job or by company. Use this file to keep research that might help you get a leg up on the competition, lists of useful resource websites and your business contacts as well. If you keep a paper file, it’s also handy to have electronic copies stored on your computer if you have one. Scan and store business cards, documents etc. so you have a backup in case you lose originals.

#3 Give Yourself a Professional Profile

By all means, you should use social networking websites to your advantage. But be sure to keep it professional. If using Facebook to contact people you don’t normally speak with, you may want to create a second, more business oriented profile than your usual profile complete with pictures of your kids or your latest girl’s night out. For LinkedIn profiles, it is beneficial to post a photo but make it professional and don’t included kids or spouses in the photo. Also, for LinkedIn, be sure you have lots of connections and recommendations on your profile. It makes you not only look more web savvy but shows others trust and endorse you. And before an interview, you should also Google your name just so you have a sense of what others can easily find out about you (and explain away if need be).